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The best time to plant and harvest rhubarb in Iowa is now.

Stalks of the plant can be harvested when they are 10-15 inches long. Once you harvest the stalks, cut off the leaf blades and discard the foliage. The stalks can be stored in the refrigerator in a plastic bag for two to four weeks. Horticulturists with Iowa State University advise to never remove more than half of the fully developed stalks from a rhubarb plant at any one time. Any flower stalks should be promptly pulled and discarded. Well-established plants should not be harvested after mid-June in Iowa, doing so weakens the plant and reduces yield in next year’s crop. This spring look for rhubarb to put in jams, jellies, pies, punch and more.